


104. heavy

by fall_into_life



Series: Beacon University [24]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Winter/Pyrrha, F/F, Multi, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 02:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fall_into_life/pseuds/fall_into_life
Summary: In Atlas, Weiss never learned to put down the heavy burden of her name. Follows on directly from 103 dismissal.





	104. heavy

Weiss grew up being lectured about the heavy burden of her name, about the weight of it, about how she should seek to add to it instead of subtract. No one should ever be confident in putting it down, leaving it behind; it should always be on their mind.

No one ever told her how to put it down.

She's aware of how her family deals with the weight. Her mother drowns it in a bottle, her father engages in petty displays of power. Winter forged her own path, serving in the military instead of contracting for it. Whitley has cast himself so strongly in the perfect Schnee mold she isn't sure there's anyone else underneath.

Weiss, until recently, had only managed partial success in finding her own methods. There were pretty girls and pretty boys who looked more towards Weiss' face than her name. There was singing, once she reclaimed it from her father. Fencing. Her work, of course. No matter what she sought or how fiercely she sought it, however, some of the weight always remained. She was always a Schnee, whether she had a foil in her hands, sheet music, a pen, or a mouth against hers. She could never forget.

Then she met Ruby.

With Ruby, Weiss Schnee could just be Weiss. She could be immature and dramatic if she so chose. She could get into loud fights with Ruby that were more about volume, about declaring presence, about being unafraid, than they were about truly disagreeing. She could finally fully relax into an embrace. She could set down that last piece of her burden.

It's why when she met Ruby just after their final exams, and Ruby had cheered about Weiss' 99% instead of seeing the missed 1%, Weiss had stopped and just looked at her. Stopped, looked, seen the starburst under her skin, and kissed her.

She'd pinned Ruby up against the nearest wall and kissed her like she could swallow down the sunshine, like she could have a piece of her warmth even on the coldest nights in her barren mansion in Atlas, like it meant something. It did. It was a choice, not an obligation. It was Weiss kissing Ruby, not Weiss Schnee chasing chemicals with someone who wouldn't dare tell the story. It mattered.

In a taxi on the snow-covered streets of Vale, Weiss tries to explain this to her sister. She sees concern melt into understanding, and Winter pulls Weiss into her side without another word. Weiss doesn't think she approves - not yet - but she understands, and that's good enough.

The two of them step into Pyrrha Nikos' apartment that evening, parting at the door. Ruby rushes forward to wrap her arms around Weiss, and Weiss pretends she's tolerating it rather than letting it unwind something in her. Ruby steps back, and Blake, ever her shadow, brushes her hand over Weiss' arm. It's nice.

"Ruby," Blake says, a laugh in her voice, "go stop Yang from starting a drinking contest."

Ruby swears under her breath, kisses Weiss on the cheek, and darts over to her sister.

Blake's arm comes around Weiss' waist, gently leading her into the apartment. Weiss, shocked by the casual touch, allows herself to be led.

"Careful," Blake says as they enter the living room, "Pyrrha kisses when she's drunk."

Weiss hisses in a shocked breath. "But she's...!"

Blake chuckles, and Weiss thinks she hears alcohol in it. "I think it amuses Winter."

Weiss' eyes seek out Winter, and her jaw drops. Winter's hair is down. Platinum silk ripples down her shoulders, the severe bun from earlier in the night nowhere to be seen. She leans against the kitchen counter, hip very definitely touching Pyrrha's, and smiles at something the other woman has said. Pyrrha leans into her, and Winter accepts the kiss, her tension lowering rather than skyrocketing at the public display of affection.

"They're good for each other," Blake murmurs into Weiss' ear.

"I... can see that." Is that what Weiss looks like, with Ruby? Like every previous iteration of herself was a pale shadow, a walking ghost?

"Come on," Blake nudges her towards where Yang has definitely not stopped trying to start a drinking contest, "let's go save Yang a hangover."

Weiss drops the burden of her name at the door, and doesn't look back.


End file.
